Read Tied - Part Four (The Tied Series) for Free Online Page B

“Your growing little family?”
     
    I released a long-held breath. “What about her?”
     
    “Just an idea I had.” I noticed for the first time that he looked tired. Dark circles framed his eyes. Jesus, he looked like he’d aged years just over the past month. What was going on?”
     
    “Are you okay?” I asked, finally cooling down. “What’s going on?”
     
    “We’re moving my dad out of his apartment,” he said. “We found a place for him in Jersey that we can just about manage to pay for. Sort of. Tony’s looking at moving out there to be closer to him and closer to our gym, which means the apartment will be empty.”
     
    Guilty hope sparked to life in my chest. “You’re thinking about renting it out?”
     
    “It needs a lot of work.”
     
    “I’ll renovate the shit out of it if you can cut us a deal that we can afford.”
     
    “Good,” he nodded, “I wanted to check that you were interested. We can’t afford to let it sit and we can’t afford to let you two stay there for free,” he grimaced, “But I’m sure we can work something out.”
     
    “Thanks, man,” I said, “We wouldn’t want it for free, anyway. That wouldn’t be right.”
     
    “Okay. Good. I wanted to make sure you were in before I ran it by Tony.”
     
    I grabbed him and crushed him in a quick hug - something I didn’t do often with my friends and brothers, but if any guy ever needed it right then, it was him. “I’m sorry about your dad,” I said as he stepped back. “Really.”
     
    “Thanks,” he said, offering a tight grin. “I’ll see Tony today.” His eyes narrowed when he went on, “And we’ll talk about Rabbit soon. I’ve been wrapped up with this shit with my dad, but I haven’t forgotten. Trust me.”
     
    “All right. I know. We’ll bash his head soon enough.”
     
    Maybe I’ll work out today , I thought as I watched him go, gym bag over his shoulder. Lee had said my membership was still good. Just because that foot was fucking useless didn’t meant I had to let the rest of my body go. I could still lift - and I’d want all my strength if I was going to let loose on Rabbit’s face.
     
    And at the very least, it would keep me busy after I woke up and waited for Katherine to get out of work. Those in-between hours were the worst. Waiting for her, waiting for revenge, waiting for my foot to get just a little bit better so I could shed the boot and learn how to walk with a tight-as-shit Achille’s… I had to fill up that spare time with something before I went crazy. Well, crazier.

CHAPTER 7
     
    I couldn’t have been more thrilled that Katherine was with me for the family summer party. Lisa’s kids had been driving her crazy, especially Amber - “Is Katherine coming? When are we gonna see Katherine? Can’t you call her and invite her over?”
     
    They didn’t know that I’d been paying for her to tutor them. They didn’t know why their mother couldn’t afford her anymore. Well, she’s practically family with that little Lockett growing inside of her. They’ll be seeing her plenty often, now .
     
    Katherine and I had taken the train out to my parents’ place on Long Island, where my sister-in-law Charlotte picked us up at the train station. “How have you been?” she asked Katherine, “Doing okay?”
     
    “I was kind of freaking out after the attack when I was waiting around in the hospital,” Katherine explained to me, “Charlotte calmed me down and convinced me to go home and take a shower.”
     
    I didn’t remember very much of that night or the days that followed, unfortunately - or maybe fortunately. They really were just a haze of painkillers.
     
    “We do have a little news,” I said, squeezing Katherine’s knee. “Katherine’s pregnant.”
     
    Charlotte’s face flip-flopped between distressed and elated. “Wow! I didn’t know you two were so serious just yet, but that’s… that’s good, right?”
     
    “It wasn’t exactly planned but